Shut up, Bokuto-san
by hyugapineapple
Summary: Since birth, everyone has a soulmate assigned just for them. You can recognize your companion by being able to read their mind. There isn't a special age or ritual that unlocks this ability. You are blessed with this ability since the first seconds of your life. Or: In which Akaashi just wants his coffee but the universe has other plans for him.


What is a soulmate?

Is it a lover? A friend? Or maybe a stranger that happens to share your interests and dreams? There is an indefinite amount of answers, theories, questions and suspicions on this matter, and the whole life isn't enough for seeking and revealing the truth.

That's why the gods, or the Universe, or maybe fate (call it whatever you want) made things easier for us.

Since birth, everyone has a soulmate assigned just for them. You can recognize your companion by being able to read their mind. There isn't a special age or ritual that unlocks this ability. You are blessed with this ability since the first seconds of your life.

Your soulmate can be younger or older than you. They may have a darker or far lighter skin tone than yours. Gender is irrelevant as well. Your beloved one's main aim, as shocking as it might sound, isn't to fulfill your sexual desires. Their main goal is to be there for you, to make you feel safe, appreciated and the most important - loved.

Unfortunately, it is not granted that you'll meet your soulmate. The world is big, there are too many people and there is a high chance that your significant other may be already in a committed relationship, unborn, or worse - dead.

There isn't any rule that forces you to find your kindred soul. People have lived their happily ever after without finding their fated consort. But the odds of meeting your soulmate are still high. However, this fact leads to more problems. Marriages that seemed strong and long-lasting are ruined because one of the spouses have found their true love. Men and women commit suicide because their soulmate refuses to leave their current lover and thus, they remain heartbroken and abandoned. Soulmates refuse to stay together because they hate each other's guts. Young men and women are afraid and disgusted by this whole idea of being tied to someone for the rest of their lives.

All this soulmate concept is just a messed up thing and you're either successful or doomed, there is no in-between.

Or at least, that's what Akaashi Keiji thought.

It's not that he has experienced such misfortune. His parents are soulmates, his grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, family friends, none of them had to go through those problems either. All of them have married their beloved ones, soulmates or not. Keiji just happened to be quite indifferent about it, that's all. He couldn't care less about finding his great, true, fated, unique, blah blah blah love. He'd rather spend his free time by himself instead.

As for a goal, Keiji's main purpose in life was to complete his academic studies, to find a respectable, well-paying job and live a prosperous life. Of course, he did not intend to stay single forever. He would eventually pursue a romantic relationship, but for now, financial stability was all that he cared about. Soulmates and all that stuff could wait.

That's why Akaashi Keiji, a 22 years old man was tiring his ass off as a student at Tokyo Medical University.

As a child, Keiji has dreamed of becoming a doctor. And now that he has reached the adulthood, he decided that he might as well become a surgeon. Such job required patience, concentration and the will to work hard - qualities that Keiji liked to think that he disposed of.

But being a med student turned out to be far more difficult than he would've ever thought. Sure, he knew that he would eventually lose the count of all the all-nighters he pulled to study and that the amount of stress he'll have to cope with would be unimaginable, but it started to overwhelm even him.

He found himself living only on coffee and sandwiches that his roommate, Suga, practically shoved them down his throat. Dark circles and eye bags seemed to be permanent traits of his face. Still, he continued to be "ridiculously beautiful it should be illegal", as Konoha, his friend, used to say.

He couldn't help it, though. Akaashi considered himself very lucky to study there, so obtaining excellent results became his main priority. Despite this, his so-called "friends" (Konoha, Terushima, Suga, and Oikawa) were trying insistently to make him "relax". It was a certain fact that this term had two different meanings for Keiji and the others. In Tooru's vision, the best way to help "Aka-chan" was to party all night and according to Konoha, "breathing textbooks and notes won't help him get laid." - a statement supported by the rest of his buddies. Keiji decided that he needed new friends.

But in spite of Oikawa and Terushima's efforts to drag him to parties, Keiji chose to spend his free days taking long, relaxing walks and enjoying some sweets and hot beverages. And studying, of course.

That's why he found himself walking down a boulevard, heading to his favorite coffee shop on a Saturday afternoon. Everything seemed to go smoothly.

Except for the fact that it was raining buckets.

And Keiji was drenched because he had lost his umbrella.

And he hasn't had a decent sleep in ages.

And when he entered the building, Akaashi concluded that the waiting line moved with the speed of a paralyzed snail.

In short, he was beyond irritated and grumpy but he still managed (or at least tried) to keep his calm composure and clung onto every bit of patience he had left.

Too bad that it wouldn't be that easy for him to be patient.

In front of him, after two or three customers, stood a tall man. Akaashi couldn't tell much about him since he was facing his back, but he still noticed his wide shoulders, muscular back and arms and a peculiar hairstyle, consisting of black and gray strands of hair combed upwards. Also, he was loud. Very loud.

The said man was practically screaming as he happily chatted on his phone, paying no attention to the uncomfortable or annoyed looks sent from those who surrounded him. On a normal day, Akaashi would've already dismissed his loud demeanor, but that wasn't a normal day.

All he wanted was to get his coffee and sit somewhere quiet and maybe nap a little, not to wait in the slowest waiting line he ever saw, his wet jacket sticking unpleasantly on his skin, irritated to no ends and with a man who spoke so loud that you could still hear him from 3 blocks away at a few steps far from him.

Keiji took a deep breath and exhaled, repeating the process a few times. It was okay, he told himself. There were only 4 or 5 people between him and the barista, he could wait. Things were fine, he'll escape soon.

And then, the black and gray-haired male laughed.

Scratch that, he screeched and bawled so loud that Keiji flinched in surprise, almost dropping his phone, his eardrums tingling unpleasantly. Then, his obnoxious dialogue started again.

Akaashi really was at his limit. Counting to five, he tried to calm himself down, but another rowdy guffaw made him groan exasperated.

" _Jesus_ Christ, _shut the fuck up_!" He roared in his head as if the stranger could hear him. Keiji knew better than to yell curses at a stranger in a public space, so a mental scream was all he could use at the moment.

To his utter surprise, the man has gone silent. Has he screamed out loud? The stranger turned around, muttering something in his phone and then ended the call while his eyes searched someone or something curiously.

Unable to hold back his glare, Akaashi stared right at him, blue eyes memorizing every part of his face. He had wide, golden eyes that sparkled curiosity and vigilance. Straight nose, a strong jaw and plump, rosy lips, all topped with his unusual hairstyle and intrigued eyes. Keiji concluded that the stranger was beautiful. Unordinary beautiful. As Akaashi kept his eyes on the other, the taller male locked his gaze with his. Keiji supposed that it was because he still hasn't softened his glare.

Stepping closer, the loud male stood right in front of Akaashi. He wasn't much taller than the brunet, only by a few centimeters, but his presence overwhelmed him. His whole aura screamed energy and life and now that he was closer, Keiji noticed that the other's eyes were awfully similar to an owl's ones. Bright, round and very beautiful. Akaashi couldn't look away anymore.

 _"Did you say that?"_

At first, the raven-haired man thought that he has heard someone speaking really close to his ear, voice deep and smooth. But soon, he realized that it couldn't be possible, the question sounded too clear and loud for it to be spoken in such a noisy room.

 _"What the heck was that?"_ he asked himself, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. Was he having hearing problems now? Hallucinations?

Suddenly, the other male widened his eyes and grinned, his excitement back on his face, his smile practically making him glow.

 _"Holy shit! It's you! It's really you! Oh_ my _God, I have finally found you!"_

He heard it again. The same voice, loud and clear in his head. What the fuck?

Then, it clicked.

Gasping softly, Akaashi raised his eyebrows, eyes widening in shock. He had heard about cases when one hears a very clear voice in their head, as if it was their own. It happens when one meets their soulmate. This is what they call mind reading.

Eyes still wide and lips slightly parted, Akaashi backed away a little, gaping like a fish while he stared at the other.

"No fucking way..." he found himself muttering, voice quiet, barely above of a whisper. "Is- Is this really happening?"

The other man nodded enthusiastically and grabbed Keiji's wrist in a swift move, pulling him outside the coffee shop. Normally, Keiji would've protested because he was finally getting the chance to order his coffee after waiting so damn long. But you don't find your soulmate every day. And at least, the rain has stopped.

They kept walking, Keiji still too shocked to speak while the stranger started rambling excitedly about how glad he was that they have finally met and for how long has he been looking for him. Finally, Akaashi noticed that they passed the park entrance. Still holding his hand, the stranger led their way and stopped when they reached a roofed bench and turned around, grinning brightly at a silent Akaashi.

 _"Wanna sit?"_ the male asked telepathically.

Unable to say anything or at least form any coherent thoughts, Keiji nodded dumbly and sat down, his soulmate following him.

After a few minutes of silence, the man spoke, this time verbally and laughed, quieter than he did at the coffee shop.

"It's rude to stare, you know?"

Akaashi blinked surprised, realizing that he was, in fact, staring at the taller male, in a very indiscreet way as well. He immediately dropped his gaze, looking at the wet grass instead, praying mentally that his cheeks weren't giving away his embarrassment. Judging by the other's laugh right after he thought that, Akaashi knew that it didn't work.

"Sorry, I- um, I'm just trying to process everything and umm- yeah..." he muttered apologetically, not daring to look up at the other, cursing himself internally for his lack of words and stupid responses. Keiji has never felt this embarrassed, not even when he tripped on his way to his desk back in high school in front of the whole class after he arrived 15 minutes later after the bell. His eyes found their way back to the other's face when the said man chuckled in response, a broad grin curling his lips upwards.

"Your voice sounds even more beautiful when you speak aloud, you know?"

Keiji blushed brighter, rolling his eyes and groaning, trying to hide his embarrassment behind his annoyed facade.

 _"Oh my God, shut up."_ he thought, forgetting for a second that his thoughts could be heard. The golden-eyed man cackled and Akaashi found himself smiling as well, his uneasiness slowly dissipating. It was a softer, more pleasant laugh, the type that Keiji would gladly get used to. Soon after, the man ceased his chuckle and extended his hand to Akaashi, a softer, but still bright smile on his face.

"My name is Bokuto Koutarou and I'm your soulmate. Nice to meet you." he winked. Keiji blushed again, taking Bokuto's warm hand in his and shook it gently, squeezing it lightly.

"Akaashi Keiji, pleased to meet you too, Bokuto-san." he replied, smiling back at him.

Bokuto cheered happily and soon after, Akaashi found himself listening to Koutarou's rant about his likes, his dislikes, friends and hobbies as they walked down the alley on their way back to the coffee shop. (Koutarou declared that he had to buy Keiji a drink since he was the one who dragged him to the park.)

And while he sipped from his steaming mug, laughing at Bokuto's stories as they shared a booth in the warm, cozy coffee shop, Keiji decided that despite his thoughts about soulmates, Bokuto may be worth it.

Maybe.

-BONUS SCENE-

2 years later

The music was too loud, the room was too hot and crowded, the air was heavy and it reeked of sweat, cologne and booze. Keiji hated it, he desperately needed to get out and to breathe before panic attacked him. That's why he hated parties. There were too many people and too much noise, everything was way too blurry and wild. It was too much. He swore to himself that it was the last time ever when he gave in to Tooru's pleas to attend a party. He'll hit him with a chair if he'd dare to do it again.

Breathing heavily, he sought his way through the mass of people, the music blaring in his ears. His breath grew heavier and he felt tears prickling his eyes, limbs shaking as panic startled to nestle in his chest. He jolted surprised when he felt a hand grabbing his wrist, long fingers intertwining with his own ones, squeezing his hand reassuringly. Trying to pull away, he snapped his head back, meeting a pair of worried golden eyes staring back at his own, panicked ones.

 _"Hey, Keiji, it's me, it's alright. I'm here."_ he heard Koutarou's thoughts. His voice was soothing and calming, distracting him from the loud beat of the basses. Bokuto smiled softly and pulled a silent, still panicked Keiji closer. _"Let's get you out of this_ place. _"_ he added, guiding the brunet to the exit. Akaashi nodded and followed him, focusing on the warm grasp of Koutarou's hand on his own one and felt his chest lighter, the panic fading away slowly.

They were now on the balcony, the cold air of the night sending shivers down Keiji's back as he took a deep breath, relieved. Still holding his hand, Bokuto dragged him to an empty swing hammock. Pulling him down, Koutarou sat down as well and took Akaashi's other hand, rubbing his thumbs against his palms reassuringly. "Are you okay, Keiji?" he asked, voice laced with concern.

All this time, Keiji was watching him silently, thoughts and memories flooding his mind. Two years ago, he met Bokuto at his favorite coffee shop and was ready to murder him, only to find out that he wasn't only a random customer. In the beginning, Keiji has been quite reluctant about all this soulmate thing. But Bokuto's cheery personality made him warm up to his antics and get attached to him.

They've started as friends who got closer and closer, till they couldn't deny the attraction and fondness they felt for each other anymore. It was awkward and slow, but they built a beautiful relationship together and it was everything Keiji could've dreamt of.

Despite his loud nature, Bokuto was a kind-hearted, gentle man. He treasured Keiji a lot, doing anything he could to make the brunet happy and Akaashi was more than glad to do the same for him.

His friends adored Koutarou. He was the only person who could convince Akaashi to take a break from studying and working and make him rest. He looked way healthier and happier than before, which is why Sugawara swore to Bokuto that he was forever in his debt. Koutarou convinced Keiji to socialize more and Akaashi was able to actually live his life, all thanks to his soulmate.

In return, Keiji became Bokuto's sense of balance. His loud behavior contrasted with Keiji's calm one, but they complemented each other perfectly. Koutarou had a problem with his mood swings and Akaashi was the only person who could cheer him up when he was feeling down and soothe him when he was too energetic. Keiji even tutored him from time to time, since the black and gray-haired male was a bit slower than Akaashi at some subjects.

Their relationship had its ups and downs and things could get difficult from time to time, but they both were ready to fight the difficulties anytime, just to make each other happy.

Realising that he still hasn't answered his question, Keiji smiled and nodded, moving closer to his boyfriend, leaning his shoulder against Bokuto's as he squeezed his hands in his.

"Yeah, perfectly fine." he replied, feeling his chest flooding with the familiar warmth that bloomed inside everytime he was around his lover. Koutarou smiled and hugged Keiji's shoulder, keeping him close and kissing his black locks gently.

 _"Who would've thought that an obnoxious, loud man that pissed me off on a Saturday afternoon would be my soulmate and future boyfriend?"_ Keiji thought after a while.

"Akaaaaaaaashiii! That's mean!" he heard Koutarou's offended cry breaking the peaceful atmosphere around them.

The brunet laughed softly and raised his head to cup his lover's chin and kissed his lips tenderly.

"Shut up, Bokuto-san."


End file.
